In Cantet
by Teecups
Summary: Puck thinks he's free from the courts and Oberon- until he is forcibly summoned back to Arcadia. Now he's stuck between finding an object of legend, or losing the only home he's ever known.  Set after Iron Knight, spoilers for IK and Summer's Crossing
1. Chapter 1

Puck absolutely hated saying goodbye. He considered himself too much of an aloof individual to do so; his real feelings well hidden by the playful banter and jokes he casually tossed around. He would have thought by now that he would have gotten over it, put up with the loss, found a way to shut off his emotions, but he hadn't- Not at all.

Which was why he could barely stand it when the winter prince (No, he reminded himself, not a prince anymore) shook his hand and wished him luck. He blinked, caught off guard, and then told himself he wasn't going to mess up this goodbye.

"You too, Ash."

Strangely enough, he felt tears prick the back of his eyes.

He didn't trust himself to brave the iron deathtrap that awaited Ash, not even for an embrace from its queen. Meghan would understand, though. He was Fey, through and through- and he had already braved the realm for her once. He knew she would hate it if he did it again.

He still loved her. It had been a horrible thing to deal with, watching her get closer and closer to a fey made of ice- constantly worrying that he would hurt her. It was insufferable, really. He had been like a little troll, following the pair wherever they went. An awkward third wheel, as Meghan would probably have put it. He remembered the day when Leanansidhe had come to collect her favour from the prince, the defiant look on Ash's face when Puck figured out why he had done it- risked himself in that way. He had been relieved… and a bit miffed. He had been there first! He had waited years for her, watching her as she grew, protecting her in school. He was the one who found the empty classrooms when the cheerleaders were making their rounds, wiped the tears from her eyes when their taunts hit a little too close to home. Hell, he had even defied Oberon for her! But that didn't seem to matter. Her eyes still drifted from him to Ash whenever ice-boy had been around.

Ash did love her, though. He knew that for sure. He could tell the ice prince loved her so much it was painful.

It was probably better that way, anyway.

Puck took one last glance at Ariella's soul shining from Ash's eyes.

He shut his eyes and let the Glamour wash over him, feeling the familiar twist and release as he burst into the form of a crow, flying off into the cool morning air.

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><p>Puck didn't know where he was going. He had flown blindly before, but never this recklessly. He was impossibly late to returning to the Summer Court. He had lost count of the days a while ago. Oberon would be furious, of course- Puck didn't really care. They had been getting angry at each other for centuries. He considered it to be part of their love-hate relationship.<p>

The sun was high above him as he glided gently on air currents, staying high above the trees in case someone mistook him as some prey bird. The sky was bright blue, the trees below him healthy and vivid. The faint taste of pine sat in his mouth. It felt odd, being suddenly released from the oaths and battles that he had become so accustomed to in the past few human years. He finally had time to himself, to think- to just be Fey. So he did.

He was the only bird in the air, which he considered a good thing. Right now, the plan was to stay as far away from the courts as possible. He had pushed his luck in the past with the faery king and come out unscathed, but he didn't think sneaking past Oberon would be so easy this time around. Technically, he had taken off on an unpermitted quest (He wanted to scoff at that- he was Robin Goodfellow. When did he ever ask for permission?) and hadn't returned. Punishment had been forgotten during the Iron War, but he doubted the Erkling would forget his mistakes so easily. Puck had a feeling he would be spending at least a century as a permanent lawn decoration if he showed up on the faery king's doorstep.

Puck dipped through the air, evergreen trees flashing by below him. He figured he had a little over a day's chance to distance himself as Ash's story spread through the courts. It was the first time any kind of fey had wanted to be mortal and on top of that, succeeded. If he remembered old habits correctly, the court would be in absolute chaos for the next couple of days. It was a badly kept secret that the summer sidhe were notorious gossipers. This story might actually drive a select few off the edge. The faery chuckled mentally. All in all, that would only help him in his escape plan.

He had never felt this free before. In previous centuries, it had always been the courts first. Doing errands for Oberon (which he hated), trying to avoid Titania's wrath, (which he usually managed to, minus that one incident with the kelpie in her closet), or just always having to stand by the King himself like some sort of imperial guard. He knew why, of course. He was powerful. Staying by the Erkling's side just reminded potential enemies that the Summer King had a secret weapon. But now, there was no worry. He had no oaths to uphold and no reason to fight. Puck felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Even when the king requested his presence, he usually kept him by his side as a crow. Puck always thought he looked more intimidating as himself, but had a strong feeling that the fey was easily annoyed by him. The crow cawed raucously as he swooped through the air in the place of laughter. If there was one thing that filled him with glee, it was pissing off Oberon. He vaguely wondered how the king had put up with him for all this time.

Puck had been flying for quite some time when there was a tug at his chest. He blinked, realizing he had zoned out, suddenly aware of the wind rushing at him and gliding over his wings. He beat his wings once, twice, trying to place where he was, before feeling the tug again.

_Oh no._

He looked around desperately, trying to find a landmark. Apparently while he had zoned out, he hadn't kept heading east as was his plan. Confusion raced across his mind as glamour thickened around him, pulling him to his left- forcing him to flap his wings harder in order to not drop like a stone. He looked down. The trees underneath him weren't evergreen anymore- they were dark green, covered in vines with the lightest dusting of mist and fog.

He had strayed into the Wyldwood.

And to make matters worse, he was being summoned.

God damn it.

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><p>Hi there! This is the long awaited Iron Fey story I've been mentioning in my updates. It will be multi-chapter- watch this space!<p>

Please review!


	2. A King's Rage

Unfortunately it wasn't long until Puck found himself swooping down into the thickest parts of the Wyldwood, dodging vines and trees with an unnatural ease. He didn't dare try to resist the summoning. He could tell that the glamour behind this one was impossibly strong, and resisting would bring more pain to himself than anything else. Only Oberon's glamour could hold out for so long. He could also tell that the summoning had actually been out for him for quite a while… he had just been out of range. He figured the end of the world tended to do that.

Frustration boiled up in the summer jester as he began to recognize his surroundings, the trees becoming thinner and the mist lighter. He was approaching Arcadia fast- and he couldn't do anything to stop himself. His wings ached horribly, strained from the speed Oberon's magic had made him fly. The colours around him were brightening considerably. He startled a pair of summer guards as he burst through the Wyldwood in an explosion of feathers and leaves, already changing form as he landed on the bridge. A scowl was set on the fey's face as he was forced to continue onwards, ignoring the startled shouts and expressions of surprise as he entered Oberon's Kingdom.

He supposed it was mostly his own fault for staying away for so long. Oberon wouldn't know he had tried to run, but if he did the jester would be in some serious trouble. Puck found himself weaving through thick crowds of fey as he passed through the main castle halls, his legs moving without his permission towards a destination he wasn't aware of. He was reminded of a certain summoning he had been a witness to and sighed at the memory.

The castle looked exactly the same. The same high ceilings of stone, green and gold banners and random summer fey milling about. There were already fey in the hallways of the higher floors staring down at him with unabashed curiosity. He was tired of it. He thought back to his early morning flight and the taste of pine and mourned for it.

He managed to pick up snatches of conversation as he took a corner, barely avoiding a collision with a satyr who promptly stared at him before whispering to his friend in a barely-contained frenzy, goat legs twitching. Puck allowed himself a small grin of victory as he found himself going down another corridor. He was right- he could practically feel the nervous energy in the air. The story of Ash's journey for a soul had already hit Arcadia, leaving its residents reeling in the aftermath. Puck found he rather liked it when the courts were in chaos- not that that was anything new to him. He had always loved confusion and chaos- he was Puck. It was his nature.

Of course, his nature wouldn't do anything to help him now. Puck had a pretty good feeling where he was headed.

He was forced to push a few Seelie out of the way as he approached the court room, the whispers around him growing in volume. The jester knew he looked like shit- months of traveling and little to no time to bathe did that to you. There was dust in his hair and his clothes were fairly dirty and torn. He figured the only things he carried that were clean were his daggers, and they were only clean because blood didn't stain glass.

The conversations around him were steadily growing in volume as he approached, evolving from whispers to excited shouts to outright blabbering. Fey were openly staring now- looks ranging from excitement to fear. Puck pulled a reckless grin onto his face, knowing his time was short. His name was among the blabbering and shouts now as the crowd grew in excitement, confirming that he was within the castle walls. The higher ranked Seelie watched him curiously, a certain sylph batting her eyelashes at him from across the room. Puck pretended not to see the sylph and managed a quick wave to his adoring crowd before Oberon's magic promptly forced his arm back by his side. Never the less, he still received a few cheers and a smattering of applause as his legs finally slowed down, coming to a halt and a faintly mocking bow as he stood in front of The Erkling, his summoning finally dissolving. He reveled in the applause coming his way and suddenly realized why the court was so anxious- they couldn't have the full story yet. The only people who did know were Grimalkin, Ash and himself... Before now, they had only rumors. Since Ash had instantly headed for Meghan and Grim wasn't exactly the best storyteller, he was the only one left to fill in the cracks of their journey. Not that he thought The Wolf hadn't started the rumors- the beast just didn't start them at the courts.

He knew the exact moment when Oberon nodded, silencing the crowd as the red head straightened.

"Robin Goodfellow. So you've decided to return home." The Summer King spoke, voice low and powerful. It seemed to echo across the room, temporarily leaving the fey listening speechless. Puck figured he had heard the voice too many times to be entranced by it.

"One Summer Jester, at your service." He replied, bending into a half bow and sweeping his arm to the floor. He heard a haughty laugh and noticed Titania for the first time, sneering down at him. That wasn't new- she was always pulling faces at him for something. When was the last time he had seen her again? Oh yeah, when he was in the midst of stealing Leanansidhe's "violin" from her. Whoops. Well, she still looked as bitchy as ever.

He heard a few smothered laughs from the court as he straightened again, noting that Oberon wasn't smiling. Puck adopted a casual posture, keeping the careless grin on his face. Oberon regarded him for a few moments, golden hair shining in the glamoured forest around them, until the redhead finally detected the hint of a sigh.

"Goodfellow, you've disobeyed me." At a shrill 'hmph' from next to him, he added "And your Queen." Titania smirked like an ignorant child, crossing her arms over her chest. Puck merely raised an eyebrow at her behavior and returned his attention to the Erkling. "While I was away, you managed to steal something of importance to her."

"A human child." Puck said dully, noting a flash of something in Oberon's eyes. He was actually surprised that this was the first thing Oberon wanted to talk to him about. It wasn't nearly the most important one. "One of Leanansidhe's so called 'instruments.' It was never anyone's plaything to begin with." The king turned to the fey next to him, who suddenly seemed to shrink into her throne. Puck grinned, holding back a gleeful chuckle. Well, he hadn't seen that coming. The fey around them broke out into a chorus of hushed whispers before Oberon turned back to him, looking stone faced. It seemed that the treatment of humans in the Summer Kingdom had changed since Oberon had discovered his half human daughter. Puck spoke up again before Oberon could ask. "She was returned home, without her memories. No harm done." His words didn't have the effect he was hoping for- Oberon didn't react except to lean back slightly, his eyes still on the ragged looking fey in front of him. Puck tried not to think of himself as a bug under a microscope as Oberon took a few long, agonizing moments to think. Titania was still giving him the stink eye from her throne. He doubted that would ever change. Once a bitch…

"Goodfellow."

Puck snapped to attention, realizing he had been zoning out. Oberon was staring down at him with a hint of a smile on his lips. Apparently the Violin story had no significance anymore. He noticed fey gathering in small crowds around the corners of the room and on the balconies, looking at him expectantly.

"I do believe you have a story to tell us. A story about my daughter."

Puck grinned, making a show of dusting himself off and rolling his shoulders. Finally, something he didn't mind doing.

"Eh. I'll see what I can remember…"

-

It took him 3 hours. 3 hours to explain everything, dancing around the courtroom and playing with the crowd's reactions. Puck thanked whatever god there may be that he was a good storyteller.

He had his audience waiting on his every word, watching his expressions, eyes following him as he moved in a slow circle before the king and queen. His words were magic, weaving tapestries in his audience's eyes of old magic and unbreakable love. He heard gasps as he described the river of dreams and the monsters that lurked below the surface of the nightmare stretch. He heard sighs of relief when they were safe and gasps of horror when they weren't. Puck reveled in every second of it.

He started right after the war, leaving out the parts about the child Leanansidhe stole and the parts he couldn't remember- specifically the parts about the End of the World. He simply remembered entering a temple, and.. nothing. He knew Ariella had sacrificed herself for Ash, and he remembered the places inside the large stone temple, but nothing else. There was a vague memory of something that looked like the Grim Reaper that he promptly left out, going on a gut feeling. There was a lot running on this story. By telling it the right way, he could drag himself back on to Oberon's good side. That was important, seeing as he might be stuck here for quite a while. Besides that, The Wolf needed the story. He also liked the idea that by telling it, he was honoring Ariella's memory.

There was dead silence when he stopped. His audience had grown double its' original size from when he had started, entranced heads peeking in from windows and around other bodies. Fey lingered, unsure of what to do. Puck took a step back, mouth dry and fairly exhausted. He thought some applause was in order, at least- he'd made it to the end of the world and back!- But if anything, there were fey backing away from him, all but jogging out of the castle walls. The more courageous fey stood by with wide eyes, hiding themselves behind stone pillars and other fey. Confused, Puck looked towards the Erkling and froze.

He was angry. Fear spiked in Puck's chest. The glamoured forest behind the king and queen was spinning with wind, trees bending in a wind that didn't exist. Leaves whipped around the room, sticking to the walls and Puck's clothing. Oberon fixed him with a cold stare, strands of golden hair whipping around his face.

Oh god. He hadn't made him this mad in a _long_ time.

"You tried to abandon your court." He said softly, and Puck felt his heart stop.

Oh no.

Puck froze, whipping through what he remembered of his story. So much of it had been his thoughts right off the bat- had he accidentally let something slip? He had just been recounting fact, things that happened! The careless grin he always expressed slipped from his face. Titania was smiling.

"You really thought you could deceive me, Goodfellow? You didn't think I had messengers watching for you, waiting for your arrival?" The wind hit him again, blowing his hair out of his eyes; bringing with it the smell of thunder and soil. A few fey scattered, darting out of the court room. Only a sparse few remained. Puck took a step back, closing his eyes. Of course- that was where the rumors had come from. They had been watching him, recounting who he'd been with and where they were headed. Puck realized there must have been someone watching him as he'd said goodbye to the prince- and then taken off in the wrong direction. He opened his eyes to find bright green eyes staring him down.

"I've let you get away with a lot of things in the past few centuries, Robin." He stated, his quiet voice carrying over the roar of the wind around them. "Maybe I've given you too much free reign. Too much time to… think…" Oberon said thoughtfully. Titania's grin widened, though she made no sound. Puck took another step backwards as Oberon slowly raised his arm towards him, knowing that trying to run would be useless. He felt the cool grip of the king's power tighten around his chest like a rope, constricting his breathing; forcing him to take a step forward. The faintest hint of a smile appeared on Oberon's face. Puck was scared and the Erkling knew it.

"I am giving you one last chance." The king started, and Puck was forced to take another step forward. "One last chance to prove yourself to me. To prove that you are not a deserter to Arcadia and your King." The magic binding Puck tightened, forcing a wheeze out of him.

"There is an item I require. An item of old legend. It is called The Mirror of Wisdom." Puck spluttered into the wind, staring openly at the king. He had heard of the mirror, but no one had ever found it- or lived, for that matter. That had scared most fey off. Oberon recognized the open fear Puck displayed and smiled. It wasn't a particularly nice smile. It reminded Puck that he was dealing with the ruler of Summer, someone far more powerful than him.

"Legend says the mirror displays how to solve the holder's most imminent problems. For this reason, many have tried to find it… none have succeeded, as you are aware." Oberon's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing on Puck as he was lifted off his feet. Through his terror, Puck thought he saw something flash through the trees behind the king. "Find this mirror and bring it to me, or forever be considered a traitor in the land of Arcadia." Puck gulped as he was lowered a few feet, trying to fully grasp the task he was being forced into. Oberon still had a hold on him.

"Now go, and-"

The Erkling dropped him. Puck landed on his back with a thud, the wind knocked out of him.

Well, that was rather rude. Puck wheezed, getting his breath back as he looked up at the throne-

Where Oberon still had his arm extended, looking confused. Puck stilled again, mind racing. Oberon was never confused, which could only mean one of two things. One, Titania had said something smart. Two… something had interrupted his magic.

There was a tug at Puck's chest.

The red head groaned, letting his head thump onto the floor before he scrambled wearily to his feet, the tug becoming more insistent.

The only thing that could interrupt Oberon's magic was a summoning.


	3. A New Friend

AN: This is a long one. Thanks for all the reviews!

Hope you like it.

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><p>Puck had scrambled out of the castle as fast as his tired feet would let him. He had felt Oberon's gaze glued to the back of his head even as he passed the guards he had previously startled, feet headed towards the wyldwood. It felt rather surreal to be leaving the castle after he had been so close to becoming a lawn gnome. The grass crunched underneath his feet; the wind whipping through the trees as he entered, very different from the wind that had abused him in the court room.<p>

Summonings were considered very important in their world- they could only be carried out if an individual had receited an oath of servitude (Like he had given to Oberon centuries before) or simply used as part of a favour. Puck guessed that this was the latter. Now that he had been summoned, Oberon couldn't call him back until the purpose of the summoning was finished. Puck decided that was a good thing. Though he didn't know if where he was headed was a good thing. He was exhausted, and therefore doubted his ability to fight any kind of being that might decide he was dinner. Puck hadn't realized how much he had missed his bed in the castle until now.

His feet stepped over a log in his path, forcing Puck to duck under a low hanging branch. A muscle worked in Puck's jaw as he looked around. The quest Oberon had assigned him to...that still stood, no matter the summoning. He huffed indignantly to himself. He had some work to do. The mirror had three clues that supposedly lead to its whereabouts, but they had been lost through time. Three clues that lead to three destinations. One of the destinations had to be where the mirror was hidden.

He might have to do some digging in the human world. That always made him a little antsy, especially if he had to look through fairytales. It just reminded him that his world was based on the myth of another. In Meghan's world, stories were stories; passed down through word of mouth and written in books. Here, stories were power. That was how it had always been. That was how he was so powerful, after all.

Puck was suddenly smacked in the face by a branch that wasn't there before. He heard snickering from behind him. He scowled, wiping tree sap from his face. God damn pixies.

His biggest problem was that he didn't know where to start. He could either try to talk to some fey and find the clues that way, or barter for a trod to the human world and hit the books. He preferred staying in his world, but if he had to…

He didn't want to lose his home. Arcadia, with its bright summer days and crisp red apples, was his everything. He was summer. It was in his blood. Being banished from that, from everything he knew…

Puck shook himself. It was best not to think about that right now. The fey forced himself to focus, scanning the trees around him. He guessed he was going to meet his summoner soon.

The summoning had brought him to a darker part of the wyldwood, a part he hadn't been to in a long time. Possibly since Meghan had first set foot in Faery, when they had been trying to outrun Ash… Had it really been that long?

An earth shattering roar broke through the silence, shattering his thoughts. A flock of birds erupted from the trees in the near distance, squawking in fear. Puck pulled his daggers out, tingles of surprise running up his spine. Of course a Jabberwocky would find him now as he was being summoned. Of course it would be right in his damn path when he couldn't protect himself! His feet continued on regardless of the incoming threat, stepping nimbly over the twisted roots and knotted grass in his way. Puck sighed, heart racing; staring intently at the forest around him. Well, if something was going to attack him, he could at least attempt to fight it…

There was another roar, followed by a tremble in the ground underneath his feet. Puck had the feeling that if he wasn't currently enchanted, he would have fallen over. Something stupid was irritating a Jabberwocky, he decided grimly. There was a few minutes of silence as he continued on, deciding that the thing (It was probably a Goblin, Pixies weren't that stupid) had either been stomped on or fried. It wasn't smart to mess with a Jabberwocky- they were impossibly quiet and powerful. That was the main reason why most fey avoided them- Despite their size, they could sneak up on their target without the faintest hint of a sound. He still thought the most surprised he had ever been was when Meghan, at the tender age of 8, had asked him to read her Alice in Wonderland. What kind of sick minded human would create something like the Jabberwocky?

Curiosity prodded at Puck's thoughts as he continued on, lowering his daggers. Why was there a Jabberwocky in the wyldwood, anyway? They usually lived near the border of Tir Na Nog, and he hadn't been walking for nearly long enough to even be close to the Winter Realm…

Puck jumped as a death cry rang out from his right, loud and clear. There was a spurt of fire that illuminated the space between the trees, leaving most of them singed and blackened. The mist in the air evaporated instantly, leaving the air hot and dry. Puck stumbled to his left as the summoning ended. Without the glamour steadying his footsteps, he tripped; falling over a gnarled root and landing on his rear end. One of his daggers flew from his hand, hitting a nearby tree. There was a final thud accompanied by the sound of breaking branches as the beast collapsed, its body taking down the forest around it. The earth gave one final, massive shudder before it was still, the wyldwood falling deathly silent. Puck took a deep breath then spluttered as the ashes drifting in the air hit his lungs.

There were a few moments of silence before he stumbled to his feet, giving the occasional odd cough. There was no one around. The only evidence that he had nearly gotten charbroiled was the dead Jabberwocky nearby. Though the burnt trees near to him, he could make out a massive claw armed with wicked talons. Puck brushed himself off, reaching for his dagger. Well, as long as it was dead, he was fine. No harm done, minus a bruised bottom.

Footsteps suddenly caught his attention. It sounded like leather shoes, crunching through the underbrush. Apparently shoes worn by someone who wasn't afraid of being attacked- they were being far too loud for that. Before Puck was really aware of what he was doing, he had yanked his dagger out of the tree and had whipped it behind him, realizing too late that what was approaching him may not be violent-

The dagger stuck into the blackened tree next to her head.

A girl. Dread filled Puck for a moment as the girl looked up at him. He had nearly taken her head off. She didn't seem to care, though- she was looking at him…

There was a tense moment where both fey regarded each other carefully before the girl sighed and turned away, stomping through the singed underbrush with ease.

"…The hell did you do, cat!" She called out, walking away from him.

Puck blinked.

He grabbed his dagger and yanked the other out of the tree as she walked through the forest ahead, intending to catch up with her. She seemed to have no problem navigating the broken terrain, whereas he was stuck stumbling over burnt branches and rocks. He hadn't expected her reaction at all- usually any kind of violent act towards another fey promised some kind of violent act in return. It was a fey thing. That was just how it worked, even if it was an accident.

"Hey!" He called out, breaking into a jog. She moved fast. Light filtered into his vision from a clearing up ahead, giving the forest the illusion of warmth. The girl turned around, already at the tree line.

She looked rather annoyed.

"What? " He heard over the rustle of leaves in the wind. He heard the swish of metal against leather and noticed that she had a sheath in the leg of her boot. A handle stuck out near her knee.

"What did you-?" He asked, about to tack on a 'and do you know of a certain cat' when she disappeared into the clearing, the sun blocking his view.

"Doesn't matter." Her voice carried back to him. Puck vaulted over a fallen tree, evidence of the Jabberwocky's death as he entered the clearing.

At first the sunlight blinded him. He had been walking through the wyldwood for so long that his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. Puck blinked away the spots dancing before his eyes just in time to see a certain feline appear.

"Cat-"

"Grim-"

Both fey turned towards each other, brows furrowed in confusion. Of course it was the cat sith. It had been so long that Puck had forgotten about the favour he had given away so long ago. In the light, Puck could see the girl's brown, tousled hair and grey eyes. She regarded him warily before turning back to the grey cat who sat before her, looking quite amused.

"What did you do , Cat?" The girl sighed in a monotone, glancing back at Puck for a moment. Grimalkin took a moment to answer.

"In order for our trade to work, you said you required-"

"Not another fey!" She argued, sounding exasperated. "I needed you to find one of the clues. I didn't need another person to..."

Puck stood awkwardly at the edge of the clearing as they squabbled, looking around. This clearing was obviously a by-product of the Jabberwocky's death- there were broken trees everywhere, save for the middle of the area. There were blackened trees and a few bloodstained ones. As he watched, Grim hopped up onto a fallen tree near the girl and began licking his paw as she talked at him. Puck put his daggers away and approached, feeling rather out of his comfort zone.

This was a first. The girl didn't recognize him. He had to admit that his ego was stinging. Usually normal fey had a healthy fear for him- Robin Goodfellow, the famous trickster. Robin Goodfellow, able to create massive chaos with a simple snap of his fingers. It made introductions a lot easier when fey had a healthy respect for him.

Grim said something that he didn't quite catch. The girl hesitated for a second, turning her head to look at him, before speaking to the cat sith again. Not grey eyes- Blue. She wasn't garbed in traditional Seelie clothes, either. Knee high leather boots (one of which held a sword), human jeans, and a tunic that was seelie for sure. The green gave it away. Now that he looked at her, he couldn't tell what she was. That unnerved him. He didn't know why. After a moment of awkward silence on his part, he noticed what she held in her other hand.

"You killed that Jabberwocky?" He said in disbelief, effectively halting the conversation the two were having. The girl turned towards him with a sigh, displaying the fang in her other hand.

"It was dying anyway. Out of its habitat." She replied, before turning back to the cat sitting in front of her. He was suddenly aware that she was splattered in purple blood.

"Fine. Happy?" Puck heard her say a few moments later as she dropped the fang onto the log next to Grimalkin. It rocked back and forth, rattling against the dry wood before it settled. Grimalkin purred as the fang disappeared without a trace. It appeared that a settlement had been reached between the two. The girl sighed under her breath before approaching him.

"You're looking for the Mirror." Not a question, but a statement. Puck's gaze shifted to the cat next to her, remembering a certain flash of grey he had seen as Oberon had been squeezing the life out of him. He sighed, shifting his weight onto one leg. "That I am." He replied coolly, wondering what this was all about. She was looking down, obviously in thought. He took the opportunity to study her. She was obviously travelling and had done some time in the human realm- her jeans proved that, not to mention the cloth knapsack she had on her back. There was a cowl around her neck, attached to what looked like a long scarf.

"You're Robin Goodfellow." She said, snapping him out of his observation. A lazy grin spread on Puck's face, not unlike a satisfied cat.

"The one and only." The thought of bowing briefly crossed his mind.

She glanced at him a moment longer, pale eyes resting no doubt on the grime on his clothing before shrugging. "I thought you'd be taller."

Puck barely held back a splutter_. Ouch._ Right in the didn't seem to notice.

"Grimalkin," She started, a hint of annoyance in her words, "Decided it was a good idea for us to meet." Puck sent a narrow eyed look to the feline nearby. "Maybe fight together, if it comes down to it. The trip to this thing won't be easy. We'll probably have a better go if we team up." The brunette girl was already moving, shrugging off her bag and reaching inside of it. He heard the crinkle of a map.

"If we start moving now, we can r-"

"Whoa there, sweetheart." Puck cut her off, causing the girl to stop and raise a sarcastic eyebrow at him. Puck rocked back on his heels, playing with the idea in his head. Her eyebrow never lowered.

"What if I don't want to travel with you?" He asked, all smirks and ego. The girl stopped for a minute. He could tell she was thinking.

"How many clues have you found?"

"…What."

She rolled her eyes at him. "The three clues to the mirror's location. The famous missing clues." She regarded him with a faint smirk, knowing she had the advantage here. Puck tried to backtrack. He didn't succeed.

"And even then," she continued, resting a hand on her hip, "If you did know where you were headed- which you don't- how do you expect to get past the mermaids?"

Puck blinked.

"Mermaids?"

"Exactly." She finished, shouldering her bag. Puck sighed, defeated; following after her as she began stepping over the outside of the clearing. He didn't like this. His only travel companion had ever been Ash, and he wasn't the kind of person who could trust blindly. On second thought, he wouldn't ever trust her unless…

"Make an oath." He blurted suddenly. The girl turned around to give him a strange look, surrounded by blackened trees.

"An oath for what? We're both looking for the same thing-"

"That you won't jump me after you find this thing," Puck smirked, knowing it wasn't a nice smirk. "That if we get into a tough spot, you won't leave me behind as ogre food."

He thought that he might have insulted her by mentioning it, but she didn't seem offended. In fact, she seemed to be considering it. The brunette turned around, taking a few steps towards him.

"I would have thought the great Robin Goodfellow would have been above oaths." She mused quietly, twigs crunching under her feet as she came to a stop in front of him. "Fine. Start it off."

He noticed Grimalkin sitting on a fallen tree a little ways away, watching in silence. Puck gathered glamour to him, ignoring the voice in his head that told him he was being rather rude. He let the old magic of the wyldwood calm his thoughts and sink into his bones.

"The path we are to undertake will be a dangerous one." Puck began, feeling the power within his words. The girl regarded him steadily. "For this journey, an agreement must be reached."

"I, Tulmarilyn Springfeld, promise to never intentionally harm Robin Goodfellow and to fight alongside him as best my ability."

Puck ran her words over once in his head, looking for any loophole she may have given herself. Surprisingly, he couldn't find any. He repeated the same words, substituting her name for his.

"It is done." He said, and felt the glamour in his words tighten, becoming something of substance before fading back into the air. The oath was complete.

The girl smiled once, the corner of her mouth quirking up. She seemed a little more relaxed.

"Call me Tully."

Puck didn't hear the loud purr Grimalkin gave from his perch on the tree as the cat hopped off the tree, the duo making their way back into the depths of the wyldwood.

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><p>R&amp;R!<p> 


	4. Discoveries

**AN: Sorry this took so long to get up! School is getting a little crazy.**

**I plan on finishing this story, so don't worry- no matter how long it takes, there will be new chapters!**

**Thanks for sticking around!**

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><p>"Now that we've gotten that all sorted out, catch."<p>

Tully reached into her bag, quickly flicking her wrist at him as she withdrew a netted object from its depths. Puck just managed to get his hands up to catch it in time. The object smacked solidly into his palm. Two nearly identical stone spheres, held together in a mesh bag. Curiosity perked, he peered at the globes through the mist around them and nearly shrieked upon realizing what they were.

"Why the heck did you save that thing's eyeballs?" Puck yelped, holding the bag away from his body as if he could become infected by it. Tully blinked disbelievingly at him.

"You're not serious." She stated, watching his squeamishness as he tried to pass them back to her. "Oh come on, they've already solidified. Technically you're just holding two big rocks."

"That were once eyeballs!" Puck exclaimed, though he had calmed down enough to get a closer look at the solidified eyeballs in his hand. Jabberwocky remains turned to stone once a beast was dead- which was why possessing disconnected remains was rare. No one was stupid enough to mess with a Jabberwocky.

Puck held the bag by its tie, hearing the clack of the stones as they walked through the wyldwood.

He heard Tully sigh, just able to make out the ring of an iris in the stone.

"To get past the guardian and into the temple, you need the eyeballs." She explained. The fey waited a moment before piping up, "You'd know that if you had the clues."

Puck scowled, hearing a bemused chuckle from the cat trotting along beside him. "Yeah, yeah." He muttered, not feeling up to explaining his close encounter with the King of the Summer fey. Grimalkin knew, at least, what he had been through today.

"So why do I have to carry these things?" Puck asked, attempting to tuck the orbs into a pocket. Tully glanced sideways at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Think of it as a backup in case something happens to one of us." She said casually, hopping over a branch. "Plus, those things are heavy."

Puck sighed. Tully chuckled. The conversation was interrupted by a brief scramble over an upturned tree before Grimalkin spoke.

"There are three obstacles that guard the Mirror of Wisdom from weak-willed fey." He began, hopping over a branch. "The clues are not clear, which makes our journey a tad more difficult. It appears we must visit three places and collect a token from each, thereby proving we were there and completed the task, as it were…" The cat sith trailed off, taking a moment to think. Tully glanced over from his left, before focusing on a patch of moss determined to trip her up. After a moment the cat sith sighed. "I assume these three items are a test, and that they should somehow show us the way to the Mirror. However, I am not aware of the reasoning behind these tests." He concluded. Puck caught himself on a tree, falling behind for a second as he yanked his sleeve from a particularly thorny branch.

"According to the clues, there's three places we are required to go. Tir Na Nog for the Jabberwocky, which I may have cheated on," Tully said with a small smirk, ducking underneath a branch as Puck caught up. "Roho Marketplace and Mirror Lake."

Puck stalled for a moment, briefly resting his hand on the bark of an aged tree. Those names sounded familiar. Grim noticed his lapse in concentration and chuckled, apparently amused at his confusion. He snapped himself out of it, realizing that Tully was watching him with a slight smirk.

"That's the charm of Roho. The name is enchanted to make you feel as if you've forgotten something. You'll understand more when we get there." The brunette said, missing the scowl that appeared on Puck's face as they moved through the wyldwood. She made him feel inexperienced. He didn't like it. And hell if he was- he had been to the end of the world and back, after all! Puck glanced at her as they walked, careful of the forest around them.

"So how do you know all of this?" He asked, vaguely wondering why Grimalkin was so silent. Tully looked up from watching her feet to blink at him.

"I thought that was obvious." When he stayed quiet, she shrugged. "I did some digging in the human world. Did a couple favours. You know, that kind of thing. It was a little tedious, but it got me what I wanted." A loud crack suddenly sounded through the forest, causing all three fey to tense momentarily before continuing onwards. Puck was once again reminded that the wyldwood wasn't exactly a safe area to travel through.

Puck couldn't help it- he was rather curious about this girl. In the gloom of the forest, he could see the thin, faint scars that crossed the odd uncovered parts of her, her hand; the juncture of her collarbone. He quickly switched gears when he realized she was giving him an odd look. Whoops. He couldn't always be stealthy…

"Why did you decide to take this on, anyway?" He asked, exasperation creeping into his voice as he tugged his sleeve off another tree. They were working their way into a darker part of the wyldwood now. Most of the trees were warped in some way or form, casting odd shadows onto their path. He noticed that Grim had disappeared.

Tully glanced at him before her eyes went back to her feet, apparently determined not to trip herself up.

"Why did you?" She asked, stepping around an uprooted tree. "It's not like you need the story or anything. You're Robin Goodfellow. You've reached the end of the world and back." The fey suddenly pressed her lips together. A grin split Robin's face, the trickster barely containing a gleeful chuckle.

"So you do know about me." He chuckled. It was Tully's turn to scowl.

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" She sighed, throwing her hands up. Puck let another chuckle slip. He thought about her question for a moment.

"I either get this mirror thing or lose my home." He said, surprising himself with his own honesty. Tully studied him for a moment before her eyes slid past him, focusing on something he couldn't see; her face hardening.

"Grim's gone." She stated, the conversation forgotten. She slowed down, glancing around; quietly pulling her sword from her boot. "I don't know how well you know Grim, but-"

"I know him well, sweetheart." Puck sighed, daggers already out. She turned around to scowl at him just as the bushes sprang to life.

Hedge wolves. Rather large, nasty looking ones. Puck started as one exploded from the ground, flying open pawed at the other fey. Tully's head snapped towards the sound, slashing her sword at the air- in seconds the wolf was crashing to the ground, disintegrating into spindly branches.

"Heads!" He heard her shout, a snarl sounding from behind him. Puck jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a flying tackle by another one of the creatures. It landed with a huge thud, rolling its shoulders and growling at him. Heart beating fast, he glanced around; feeling dread work its way into his stomach as multiple sets of glowing yellow eyes focused on him. These beasts weren't the same ones he and Ash had fought together. They were bigger, sharper- and apparently more focused. He whipped one of his secret weapons into the air, watching as a wolf leapt from the circle to shred the bear that exploded forward into leaves and twigs in a matter of seconds. He heard Tully take a step back, both fey waiting for any sign of attack. They were surrounded, one lone wolf circling them within the circle. The Alpha. Silence filled the area. He could hear Tully breathing from somewhere behind him.

The wolf stalking them growled.

The circle exploded.

Words burst from Puck's mouth before he could really stop them, reminded of the last time he had faced a group this large with another fey.

"Back to back!"

He felt a smaller set of shoulders bump into his just as the group bared down on them. He gripped his daggers tight as hits began to rain down on them with flashing teeth and outstretched paws. He drove his dagger into the side of a skull, kicking the animal away as Tully drove her elbow into an unsuspecting nose.

It was chaos. Everywhere he turned there was another set of teeth ready to come at him. He suspected it was the same for Tully. A yelp sounded in his ear, feet sliding in the dirt as he supported her weight, the girl throwing off another wolf who attempted to jump her. A few seconds later, she was doing the same for him. Hot breath hit his skin constantly, followed by the snapping of jaws and sharp teeth. He found that her fighting style wasn't very different from his, and soon they were spinning almost effortlessly; slashing and fending off attacks like they had known each other for much longer. His arms ached, the muscles trembling from the strain of slashing and shoving. A pained gasp sounded in his ear, distracting him; a claw slid a little too close to his arm, splitting the skin. Blood began to flow, hot in the cooling air. Puck reached out a hand towards the trees, dodging a flying paw; watching as a vine whipped into three incoming wolves and sent them backwards into the trees.

After what seemed like forever, the attacks stopped coming. He panted with exertion, watching as the last remaining wolves limped off into the woods. The forest floor was littered with broken branches and torn grass. There was a long, drawn out howl, and then the wolves were gone. Puck could hear his pulse thumping through his body. There was a tense moment of silence before the fey parted, the jester beginning to relax. Puck turned around, noting the grip Tully still had on her sword as she looked into the forest around them.

The fey smirked, pocketing his daggers. He swallowed the dryness in his mouth.

"Wimps." He commented, watching as the serious look on her face softened. She rolled her eyes at him, the tense line of her shoulders dropping as she relaxed.

"They won't be back. We've marked our territory- they'll stay away from here." She dropped onto one knee, shrugging off her bag. At some point during the fight, the sun had begun to set, leaving them in near darkness. With the light they had left, Puck could see blood glistening from a ragged cut underneath her collarbone. His brow furrowed, the gasp he had heard earlier explained.

"You're bleeding." He stated, realizing a second later how stupid that had sounded. She stood, raising an eyebrow at him; her eyes falling to his forearm.

"So are you." The brunette sighed, arm rummaging inside her bag. "Hold on."

Puck sighed, sitting down in the grass among them. Now that the fight was over and his adrenaline rush was gone, his body was beginning to ache quite horribly. His gash was in an awkward place- he would need help cleaning it. There were spindly twigs and plants everywhere, a reminder of the creatures they had just battled. He watched as Tully pulled out a roll of gauze and something else that she handled more carefully. Noticing he had sat down, she shifted closer to him; exposing what looked like a drawstring bag of potpourri.

"Hedge wolves have poisonous saliva." Tully began to explain, reaching for his arm. He let her take him by the wrist, gently straightening his elbow. "They have this habit of licking their claws, so that even if they miss their intended target, they... will still have a meal, sooner or later."

Puck jolted. That was new. The corner of Tully's mouth turned up.

"It takes a few hours to work, don't worry. It would only really give us a splitting headache, seeing as it's meant for goblins and the like." She opened the bag, emptying a small handful onto a piece of gauze. "I'd rather avoid that. This should absorb the poison, anyway."

"They didn't used to be like that." Puck muttered, wincing as she pressed the mixture onto his arm. The smell of dried flowers reached his nose, so different from the musk of the wyldwood around them. It reminded him of home.

Tully's expression darkened slightly. Her hand tightened around his wrist before it relaxed again. "You have the Iron fey to thank for that. The invasion upset the whole Nevernever, but did its worst in the wyldwood. They forced a lot of creatures to evolve in order to survive." He watched as she carefully added more of the mixture to the gauze, beginning to wind the bandage around his forearm. "Look around, Goodfellow." She spoke, eyes hard as she concentrated on his wound. "Do you really think the wyldwood is the same as you left it?" Puck silently agreed, his eyes drifting from her face to look around them. He found himself focusing on a paw print the size of his head, nail marks gouged into the dirt. The wyldwood had become more dangerous since his days of strict court life. Like it was fighting back…

He watched her for a moment, thinking hard; gears turning in his head. Something was nagging at him.

"You don't live in the courts." He stated carefully, knowing after he spoke that he was right. She knew too much to have a home there, sheltered from the real Nevernever. Tully paused for half a second, her face remaining neutral. She tied the gauze off at his wrist.

"I prefer the term 'Nomad.'' She said, tearing away another piece of gauze to press against her collarbone. She barely winced as she sponged the excess blood off her skin. Puck flashed a grin, proud of himself. He leaned back, resting his weight on his elbows in the high grass.

"So why aren't you there now? Court life got too boring for you?" He asked, a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. The smell of flowers hit him again as she opened the bag, pouring some of the mixture out for herself. It was out of place among the gloom and darkness of the forest. She glanced at him, blue-grey eyes studying him for a moment. Some of the mixture fell out of her gauze and into her lap.

"You ask a lot of questions." Tully mused, brow furrowing as her hand shifted against the cut. Puck heard her growl slightly under her breath as more dried flowers disappeared into the grass below, despite the grip she had on it.

"It's my nature." He sat up again, missing the wary look in her eye as he reached towards her. "Here, let me. You're missing it." Tully glanced down. Puck grinned again as she moved her hand, trying to adjust her grip.

"I got it." The fey said quickly. Puck scoffed.

"Sure you do, you're spilling your potpourri all over the place." He got a hint of a smirk for his efforts. It disappeared when he stretched his hand towards her.

He carefully pressed his hand against the gauze, shifting the bandage; feeling her flinch in response. She was warm underneath his fingertips, heart pounding from the fight. He thought her flinch was from the pain until he realized how rigid she was- tense like she was preparing to flee. Muscle clenched like stone. Before he could blink, she had replaced his hand with her own and was standing up, pulling away from him.

"We should start a fire. Grim will be back any second now. It'd be great if you could get some wood until I can patch this up." She turned her back to him. Puck stalled, confused; getting up slowly.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine. We need wood." Tully replied quickly, cutting him off. She was kneeling in the grass, setting up a place for the fire.

He did as she asked, wondering what he had done wrong.

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><p>It was much later when they talked again. The sun had definitely set, and the wyldwood had changed from autumn tones to inky blackness. Every once and a while, an echo of a cackle was heard.<p>

Not that it bothered him. Puck had seen much worse than a blood-happy kelpie.

Tully sat opposite him, on the other side of the fire. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, her elbows resting lightly on her knees. Somehow when he was collecting wood, she had managed to bandage herself up pretty well. Grimalkin had returned soon after, and was currently lying in the grass next to her.

"You know, you could give us a heads up before you make a run for it, cat." Puck complained, watching as yellow eyes peered at him through the flames. Tully's map was spread out in front of her, her finger absentmindedly tracing an inked line. Grim sat up, licking his paw.

"It wouldn't be any fun that way. And besides, I'm preparing you for real life." Tully let out a snort, eyes never wandering from the map. Grim glanced to Tully with a chuckle before stretching out in the grass again. Puck had the feeling he was missing something.

Tully shifted, crossing her legs. "We're almost to the first trod. It's only about half a day's walk from here." He heard the rustling of paper, the fire blocking his line of sight. "That one leads to the human world. Still forest, though. The trod to Roho from there is a little far, but not impossible." He reached down in front of him and popped a mushroom into his mouth, roasted earlier when the fire was almost too hot to sit by. He remembered the last time Ash had eaten mushrooms and held back a chuckle. Puck nodded as he chewed, mouth full.

"Seems like a plan." He said. She nodded absentmindedly, and they drifted into their own thoughts again.

His eyes found her bandage. He could just see the faint pink of her blood beginning to seep through the gauze.

"How's your shoulder?" He asked, feeling like his words were swallowed by the night air. She looked up from the map, her eyes reflecting back the fire. Grimalkin sighed lazily next to her, rolling onto his back in a very cat-like gesture.

"Sore. It should be fine by tomorrow, though. Your arm?" She asked, her eyes moving down his shoulder. Puck shrugged, ignoring the twinge of pain his arm gave off as he shifted.

"Sore."

Tully chuckled.

"I blame Grim." He continued, sighing as the cat peered sleepily at him. "All we needed was a heads up, Grim. Just a little 'oh, by the way, incoming big dogs at 3 o'clock."

"You know, I kind of agree with him." Tully replied, watching as Grimalkin sat up with a long suffering sigh.

"Children, it is late. You should go to sleep." The cat sith retorted. Both fey broke out into laughter.

"Fine, fine. I understand when I'm not wanted." Puck said, sounding hurt. He carefully stretched his arms over his head, falling back into the long grass. He heard the fire splutter as Tully put it out, the long grass obscuring his view. The once orange-red area around them, illuminated by the fire, went black. Afterimages played across his eyes like old movies.

"Goodnight, Goodfellow." He heard a quiet voice say.

"G'night." Puck replied, his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness. He was just able to make out the stars through the trees before he drifted off.

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><p>Tully waited a long time. She waited until her ears focused in on the sound of his breathing, tuning out the rest of the wyldwood. Eventually his shifting stopped, his breaths turning deep and even.<p>

Carefully, she sat up. The brunette left her bag where it was. The fire was still smouldering. There was a Puck-shaped imprint in the grass in front of her. If she focused hard, she could just make out the rise and fall of his chest.

Now was the time. Tully tucked her hair back, pulling up the cowl that usually laid on her back like a hood. She stood, careful not to step on any branches.

Grimalkin watched her with faintly glowing eyes. They nodded to each other before she walked into the wyldwood, silent as a ghost.

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><p>Reviews make me update faster!<p> 


	5. A New Problem

Puck knew the wyldwood like the back of his hand. Even now, though it had evolved, finding his way around was easy. He could press his hand against the bark of a willow tree and know how far its roots stretched. He could feel the ground shake underneath his boots and know what sort of creature was the cause of it. Very few were aware that the forest had a voice, only audible if you listened hard enough. Puck, being considered a part of the Wyldwood for decades now, had learned how to understand this voice. It told him when things were good, and when things were bad.

Right now, things were somewhat… bad.

Yeah, something bad was about to happen.

Puck opened his eyes.

Blades of long, thin grass obscured his vision. He vaguely remembered laughing with Tully before falling asleep the previous night, body warming the cool grass folded underneath him. The fey was curled into what resembled the fetal position, arm resting limply in front of him. He didn't move, feeling his heartbeat speed up as his body awoke. He was listening to the dread working its way up his spine- dread that wasn't his. He focused on keeping his breathing even as green eyes peered through the grass.

It seemed safe enough. The wyldwood was lighter now, hints of sun and blue sky filtering through the dense gray fog. He could see the grass imprints of Tully and Grim out of the corner of his eye. If he focused hard enough, he could see the faint rise and fall of her chest as she slept away, unaware. He focused on the forest again, straining his eyes.

The dread flared again. Puck gingerly pushed himself onto his elbows, making no noise. The wyldwood was silent. An alarm bell went off in the back of his head, for reasons that weren't yet clear to him. He frowned.

The wyldwood was eternally restless, full of shifting trees and creatures that generally never shut up. His head whipped around at the shifting of grass. Grimalkin was stirring. Tully was still out cold, knees to her chest. Puck rose slowly, still surveying his surroundings. The dread was spiking again, his heart thudding in his ears-

_KK-KK-CRACK._

**THUD**

Oh shit.

Grimalkin jolted awake, yellow eyes vivid in the gloom. Tully didn't move.

"Goodfellow!" He hissed, bouncing to his feet. Puck gaped for a second, for once stuck silent.

No way. How-

Puck leapt over the remains of last night's fire, landing beside Tully. He shook her roughly, grabbing her wrist to pull her up. She awoke with a start; blue eyes wide in confusion.

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!"

"Wha-" She started, grabbing her bag as she stumbled to her feet. Grim was puffing up, ready to take off into the trees.

"This your boyfriend?-"

'_**BWWWAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGG!'**_

"This way! No time!" Grimalkin yelled, finally taking off into the trees. Puck grabbed Tully's wrist and took off, flying past trees and the occasional root determined to trip him up. The brunette caught herself and kept up with him, the violent sound of snapping trees overriding the wind in their ears.

"What is that?!" Tully yelled, trying to look behind them. Puck glanced behind him, hair in his face as he watched a great shaggy hand push a tree over with ease. The smell of tobacco filled the air, out of place in the musk of the wyldwood.

"Kapre! Keep going!" He yelled, vaulting over a log. Grimalkin was bouncing in and out of sight ahead of them, staying just close enough to show them the way before launching himself through the trees again. The Kapre roared behind them again, knocking down fewer trees and trying to catch up to them- using its long legs to its advantage. It loomed behind them, all ten feet of it steadily gaining on them. Tully grabbed his hand and yanked him to the side just as another tree fell ahead of them, trying to cut off their path. His arm screamed in protest, but the pain was bearable compared to being flattened.

"What is it _doing_?" Tully yelled, and he had to wonder at that as well- Kapre lived in solitude, up in the trees. They usually never came down, let alone gave chase to random fey. The cracking of trees sounded out behind them, just giving him enough time to jerk Tully out of the way. It fell with a boom, sending ripples of impact through the ground and startling anything that wasn't already running at the sight of a ten foot sasquatch.

"Beats me!" He shouted, pushing her forward as he caught sight of Grim again. The brunette stumbled before running ahead, not needing any more encouragement. The wyldwood had become a place of muted color and undefined shape as they rounded a sharp bend, hearing the Kapre slam into the mountainside to their right as it didn't quite make it. Puck panted, quickly glancing behind him in time to see the thing slowly recover, rubble sticking to its long, thin fur. Tully swore. Grimalkin had disappeared.

"Where the-" Puck began, the smell of tobacco making him lightheaded. Suddenly Grimalkin was waiting for them in front of a small stone archway, now visible through the trees. It looked as if it had been carved right from the surrounding mountain. A hint of glamour circled the opening like a halo.

"Here!" Grimalkin yelled, then disappeared; leaping into the archway. Realizing what was happening, the Kapre began to bellow. Puck felt a breeze that ruffled his hair as it tried to make a swipe for him, huge sausage fingers just missing the back of his shirt. He heard Tully gasp. Their feet pounded the forest floor, the arch getting closer and closer…

Tully leapt for it. He jumped right after her, glamour rushing over them as the trod spit them into the human world. For a second there was a bang that rattled every bone in his body as he hit the ground, and then silence.

Except that he was moving. And he couldn't stop.

Puck crossed his arms over his face, disoriented by the jump through the trod. He heard a yelp from somewhere in front of him as his body suddenly tumbled downwards, wet branches and weeds scratching his arms. He threw a hand out sideways, desperately trying to stop himself, only to end up with a hand full of mud. The jester summersaulted the last few meters down the hill, landing with a harsh thump that knocked the air out of his lungs. He slid a few inches on the wet grass before finally coming to a stop.

"…Ow." He groaned, waiting for his body to stop throbbing.

He heard a responding groan from farther down the hill.

"I'm just going to... Lay here, for a while…"

"Yeah." Tully agreed, before flopping onto the grass with a groan.

Puck let his eyes slide closed, sighing as his legs stopped burning. Eventually his heart stopped threatening to burst out of his chest, the danger long gone. At some point during their flight the hilt of one of his daggers had been driven into his gut. He winced as he rubbed his stomach, wondering how long it would take to bruise-

Wait. The Kapre.

Puck forced himself to sit up, ignoring the dull pain in his back, and looked over his shoulder.

They had entered the human world from the top of a hill. A rather steep hill. It had acted like a Slip n' Slide, their momentum causing the pair to fly to the bottom. It seemed to be early morning here as well. Puck glanced up the hill, blinking when his eyes reached the top.

"Well, that worked out well."

"Wha?..." Tully groaned, a little ways away from him.

The trod was in ruins. It appeared as if it had been an archway on this side as well, only the Kapre hadn't been small enough to make it through. There was rocky debris everywhere, thrown from the archway and still running in small rocks and pebbles onto the grass. What was once an opening in the rock was now a massive pile of broken rock and jagged stone. It looked like a small avalanche had occurred. Puck watched as a small rivulet of pebbles rolled over his hand.

He heard Tully finally push herself up. He knew she had finally noticed what remained of the trod when he heard a quiet gasp.

"I guess someone was too fat to fit through the trod." He said.

He heard Tully splutter a laugh, then wheeze.

"Ow. Don't make me laugh."

Concern spiked through Puck. He shifted gingerly, a frown on his face. Tully was covered in bits of wet grass, a few red scratches decorating her cheek. He figured he looked the same. The redhead peeled a wet leaf from his knee as he crawled over to her, too tired to stand up.

"I'm fine. Just hit the ground pretty hard." She said with a breathless chuckle. Puck grinned slightly, flopping down next to her. After a moment, she did the same.

Though it was misty and wet on the ground, the sky peeking at them through the treetops was a brilliant blue. Puck sighed, red hair sticking to his face as the duo took a moment to rest. He could feel the water on the grass quickly soaking the back of his shirt. He was too tired to care. After all the things that had happened in the past few days, they needed this.

Tully shifted. He glanced at her as she sat up, pulling a twig out of her curly hair.

"That was fun." She sighed, wiping grass off her arm. Puck sat up, exhaling; surveying their surroundings. Tully peeled a weed off her lower leg, looking around them.

"Finally up, are we?" Grimalkin commented, perched up in a nearby tree. Puck sent a scowl his way. The cat chuckled, leaping down into the grass. "That was quite an impressive entry."

"That was some impressive running earlier." Tully commented, most of her attention on the items inside her bag. "I would have almost thought you were scared."

Grimalkin went silent. Puck chuckled gleefully.

"Snap." He said with another chuckle, finally getting to his feet. Tully was frowning at something inside her bag. After a moment she carefully got to her feet.

"Few of my jars cracked, but other than that I think I'm good." She swung her bag onto her shoulders, stretching her arms over her head. Puck scratched his neck, realizing there was a good clump of mud stuck to the back of his collar. Blue eyes closed for a moment as the other fey rubbed a hand over her ribcage. "Mind explaining why I was awoken to a freaking Kapre, of all things?" Tully asked. Puck glanced over his shoulder at the archway.

"It was being controlled by someone." Grimalkin cut in, sauntering over to them. He held himself haughtily, as if he was still trying to shake off Tully's earlier comment. "Kapre never attack unless the tree they reside in is in danger."

"And like always, it was us in danger." Puck sighed dramatically, rolling his neck. He exhaled with a particularly good crack. "But why control a Kapre? Why not something more… dangerous?"

"I don't think they want us dead." Tully commented quietly. She stepped away from their group, headed into the forest. Puck followed her after a moment, brushing dirt off his sleeve. "That could have been a warning, or-"

"Someone is tailing us." Grimalkin said, trotting to catch up to her. "Most likely, they will follow us until we have the mirror."

"And then try to take it from us." Tully finished with a frown.

"But that means someone thinks we can actually retrieve it." Puck said after a moment. "Hey! At least that means someone believes in us!"

Tully didn't even turn around. "You're an idiot."

Puck huffed.

They walked for a few hours. Despite Tully's assurances that the next trod was close, it still felt like days while traveling on sore limbs and bruised muscle.

It occurred to Puck that the route they were travelling on was actually man made when they passed a couple of joggers. Puck blinked at their sudden appearance, but the two women passed them without recognition; laughing at an unheard joke as their feet crunched on the leaves underneath them. Grimalkin and Tully continued on without a hint of a flinch.

It was strange to be back here, even though here was so far away from where he had spent 16 or so years of his life. He was always anxious around humans- it had stemmed from having to remember that a select few could see him. He vaguely remembered a class with Meghan where he had been sitting on the teacher's desk for most of the class. It had taken him a moment to realize why the room full of third graders were giggling behind their hands.

He found himself slightly anxious as they walked through a campsite, glad that Grimalkin and Tully were in front of him. The two humans sitting outside their tent didn't even look up as they walked by, stepping carefully over the remains of their fire. Puck could smell the coffee that sat in one man's hand, steam rising into the cool air.

No humans with special talent here. He was invisible, just like the two fey in front of him.

He didn't know if he liked being invisible.

"Puck."

He jolted, unaware that he had zoned out. Tully was looking over her shoulder at him, one eyebrow raised at him curiously.

"We're here."

Puck looked around them.

He hadn't noticed how far away they had strayed from the human campsites. As they began to move forward again, the trees began to bend in on themselves; losing their height as they curled over into a sort of tunnel. The two fey in front of him were looking as well- he thought Tully looked a little anxious, despite having been to the marketplace before. He whistled once, low and long. Tully ran a hand along the branches as they moved along, the limbs swaying softly at her touch. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the faint whistle of the wind as it blew through the tunnel, smelling of grass and spring.

"Here we are." Grimalkin said after a moment as they followed the curve of the tunnel. Ahead of them was a small blue oval that hung a few inches from the ground. It glowed with the silvery-blue glamour that every trod seemed to emulate. The tunnel continued behind it.

Puck caught up to his companions, smirking at the smile slowly growing on Tully's face.

"Ready?" He asked her, feeling a tingle of anticipation run down his spine. This was the first step to the mirror, after all, and also the first step to keeping his home. Tully turned to him with a smile, blue eyes flashing. For a second he saw the sky, bright and vivid through a court window. Then the fey turned away from him, stepping towards the floating blue oval in front of them.

"Let's go." She said, pulling up her cowl, than stepped through. One moment she was there, and the next she wasn't. Grimalkin followed right after her, disappearing in a small flash of blue. Puck took a deep breath and followed.

He was met with a howl of wind so fierce that it almost knocked him off his feet.

Puck spluttered, disoriented; yanking his hood over his head. It did little to help him- sand found its way between the seams, sticking to his skin and getting in his eyes. He winced, stumbling slightly as he got his footing in the shifting hills underneath his feet. The wind pushed at him again as he looked up, feet slipping around slightly.

There was sand as far as the eye could see. They were in a desert.

"Come on!" He heard over the screaming of the wind, and saw Tully waving one arm a little ways in front of him. He suddenly realized why she had pulled up her cowl. Grimalkin was tucked against her chest, not even trying to see where they were going. Then again, the only thing protecting him from the sand was Tully's shirt. The jester threw an arm up in front of his face, stumbling over to meet her through the shifting sand.

"Are you sure that was the right trod?" He yelled over the wind, stumbling slightly as he reached her. Tully moved her hand from her cowl for a moment, revealing the grin her arm had been hiding. She looked ecstatic for someone who had just walked into the middle of a sandstorm.

"Positive!" She exclaimed. Puck scoffed, wondering if she had lost a few brain cells from their earlier slip and fall. He couldn't even see the trod anymore, though he had been sure he only moved a few feet away from it. He watched her stumble for a moment as the sand shifted underneath her feet, her clothes billowing in the squall.

"Then where the hell is the market!" He shouted, both of them hunching against a violent gust of wind. She didn't respond for a moment, waiting for the wind to die slightly, and then pointed ahead of them. In the distance was a tiny red square. The wind roared for a moment, and the sand lessened just enough to reveal a bright red wall before the details were lost to the storm.

"Those are the gates! Head that way!" Tully exclaimed happily before moving off into the storm. Puck groaned, thinking longingly of home as he stumbled after her.

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry for the long wait! I fell out of writing for a while, but I'm back now!<p>

More to come!


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